UNHS BOBBY BUTLER NAMED HOBEY BAKER HAT TRICK FINALIST

Mar 31, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Senior Bobby
Butler (Marlboro, Mass.), forward for the 11th-ranked
University of New Hampshire men’s ice hockey team, became the
second player in school history to be named a Hobey Baker
“Hat Trick” finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award
as announced by the committee Wednesday afternoon. Darren Haydar
was part of the first-ever Hobey “Hat Trick” in 2002,
while Jason Krog remains UNH’s only Hobey Baker Award winner
after he won the 1999 award and was named from a field of 10
finalists. Maine’s Gustav Nyquist and Wisconsin’s Blake
Geoffrion filled out up the rest of the “Hat Trick”.
Read more about Butler and his Hobey Baker campaign at
ButlerforHobey.com.

Butler, UNH”s first Hobey
Baker Top 10 finalist since Kevin Regan in 2008, has already
collected his fair share of hardware as he was the 2010 Hockey East
Player of the Year, 2010 Walter Brown Award winner, Hockey East All
Star First Team, Hockey East Scoring Champion and Hockey East Three
Stars Award winner. Butler enjoyed not only his best season as a
Wildcat, but also arguably the greatest season by any Wildcat
forward in recent history. Butler ranks first in the nation in
goals with 29 and is tied for second nationally in points with 53.
Butler finished second in goals per game at 0.74, fifth in points
per game (1.36 ppg), 10th in short-handed goals (2) and 19th in
game winners (4).

The co-captain, as voted by his
teammates, has been even better among Hockey East’s elite,
ranking first overall in goals, third in points, seventh in power
play goals, second in short-handed goals and third in game-winning
tallies. In conference play, Butler finished first in points (41)
and goals (21), and sixth in assists (20). He becomes the first
player in Hockey East to register 20 goals and 20 assists in league
play since Krog. Butler was one of just six male position players
selected to represent the East Squad at the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four
Skills Challenge. Perhaps Butler’s most prized accolade is
being named a Hockey Humanitarian Nominee. Butler was among a group
of 18 players in all of college hockey in the running for the award
that honors college hockey’s finest citizen, someone who
gives back to his or her community. Butler was nominated for his
work with a local middle school as well as several other meaningful
projects in and around the Durham community. Butler also did not
just skate by in the classroom. He will graduate in May with a
degree in Health Management and Policy with a 3.12 grade point
average. He is a two-time Hockey East All-Academic Team member.

Butler’s stellar season is a
fitting cap to his sparkling career. Butler became just the
67th player in program history to register 100 career
points, doing so in extremely balanced fashion with 61 goals and 60
assists for 121 points. Butler’s 121 points is tied with
Chris Winnes for 49th on the all-time scoring list at New
Hampshire. Butler recently inked a two-year free-agent contract
with the Ottawa Senators.

The 2010 Hobey Baker Award winner
will be announced from the field of three Hobey Hat Trick finalists
Friday, April 9, 2010 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championships in
Detroit, Mich. The 30th annual award announcement
honoring college hockey’s top player will be televised live
during prime time on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. ET. For more info on
the Hobey Baker Award or to access the Hobey logo, please visit
hobeybaker.com.